Trenching machine



- 4 Sheets-Sheet l o 1 Dec. 16, 1924.

P. ASPLUND TRENCHING MACHINE Filed June 24 1 Dec. 16, 1924. 1,519,897

P. ASPLUND TRENCHING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwventoc Dec. 16, 1924. 1,519,891

' P. As PLUND 'TRENCHING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1924. 4 Sheets-Shee'b- 5 Snow H501 Dec. 6, 1924. 1,519,897

P. ASPLUND TRENCHING MACHI NE Filed June 24, 1924 '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v D WHIIIHIHHHIHH Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UlTE STATES PETER ASPLUND, OF TECUMSEH, NEBRASKA.

TRENCI-IING MACHINE.

Application filed June 24, 19%. Serial No. 722,116.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, PETER AsrLUND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tecumseh, in the county of Johnson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trenching Machines. of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in trenching machines and more particularly to a trenching machine for forming a wide shallow trench or ditch.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the central portion of the ditch is formed by chain buckets of the type ordinarily employed in the construction of narrow ditches, and the sides of the ditch are formed by cutters or rooters actuated by the bucket drive and which deliver displaced earth to the buckets of the chain for removal from the ditch.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of bucket or rooter construction for use in this connection.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction for supporting the digging mechanism of a. trenching machine of this character in such manner as to be very rigid and accordingly protected from the twist and strains to which apparatus of this character is necessarily subjected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hoisting mechanism controlling the depth of the cut or for elevating the trenching elements proper, so that they are out of engagement with the earth during travel of the machine from place to place.

A, further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a device of this character, a drag so constructed that it insures delivery of all earth removed by the side cutters to the buckets by means of which it is removed.

A. further and more specific object of the invention. is to provide, in combination with a chain bucket type of trenching machine, means at the opposite sides of the cutting buckets for loosening the earth at opposite sides of the bucket and further means for delivering the earth so loosened to the buckets, the whole of this mechanism being operated by the operation of the buckets,

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trenching machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the trenching mechanism proper;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view showing the bearing of the boom supported shaft;

Figure 4t is a detail view showing the bracing connections between the brace and the ends of the shaft;

Figure 5 is an enlarged rear elevation of the trenching machine;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the spiders and their connecting transverse members;

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken through the rooter drum, the spiral conveyor being removed Figure 8 is a perspective view of the supports of the driving mechanism;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the hoisting mechanism Figure 10 is a perspective view of the drag employed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a wheelsupportecl frame, certain of the wheels thereof, indicated at 11, being traction wheels and capable of connection with a power plant 12 carried by the frame to drive the same. This frame may be of any suitable character and, in accordance with my invention, I secure thereto at opposite sides thereof a pair of rearwardly and upwardly extending supports 18 preferably in the form of I beams. At the rear end of the frame extending upwardly from each of these supports 13 are a pair of vertical supports 14, these supports being aligned and having mounted upon the upper ends rhereof platform beams 15 paralleling the main supports 13 and of less length than such main supports. Extending transversely of the beams 13 and projecting beyond the outer faces thereof and supported there from is a beam 16 from which braces 17 are extended upwardly to the platform beams 15 to brace the same. Secured to the forward end of the platform beams and extending forwardly therefrom are a pair of lighte supports 18 which are braced, as at 19, from the main supports 13 and, as at 20, from transverse beam 16. At opposite ends of the platform beams 15, shafts 21 and 22 are mounted in bearings carried thereby, the small shaft 21 at its center receiving a bearing carried by one end of a boom 23. To the shaft 21, at opposite sides of the bearing, are secured a pair of sprockets 24 over which pass bucket chains 25 having secured thereto at spaced intervals the side edges of buckets 26 of the usual type employed in trenching machines. The shaft 21 is operatively connected with the shaft 22 to be driven thereby, as indicated at 27, and this shaft is in turn operatively connected with the power plant 12, as indicated at 28. Supported from the vertical supports 14 is a transversely extending conveyor 29 driven from the shaft 22 and having its delivery end located at one side of the body frame 10 as indicated.

The lower 0]: free end of the boom 23 has mounted thereon, for adjustment longitudinally of the boom, a bearing 30 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 31. T 0 this shaft at opposite sides of the bearing 30 are secured sprockets 32 over which the bucket chains 25 pass, the sprockets being secured to the shaft and driven from the bucket chains and the shaft accordingly rotated. To the shaft, at opposite sides of the sprockets 32, are secured at spaced intervals spiders 33, the ends of corresponding arms of the spiders at each side of the sprockets 32 being connected by transversely extending bars 34 having secured thereto rooter teeth 35 of the type usually employed on trenching buckets. These spiders are secured to the shaft against rotation with relation thereto and accordingly as the shaft is rotated these transverse bars are rotated and the teeth thereof brought into engagement with the ground at opposite sides of the path of travel of the buckets 26.

The inner faces of the transverse bars have secured thereto angle plates forming blade brackets 36, to which brackets are secured the outer edges of helically curved blades 37 surrounding the shaft. These blades at each side of the shaft are so constructed that they deliver toward the center of the shaft and accordingly toward the path of travel of the buckets 26. While I have shown and described the helical blades as being secured to and carried by the transverse bars 34, it will, of course, be obvious that these might be supported from the shaft in a manner other than that indicated if so desired.

The outer ends of the shafts are mounted in bearings 38 which are rigidly secured to the rear ends of rearwardly and downwardly inclining channel-irons 39, the upper ends of which are adjustably secured, as at 40, to the ends of an angle-iron brace 41 extending transversely of and secured to the boom 23. Rigidity of this transversely extending brace is assured by auxiliary braces 42 and 43 extending between the boom and points adjacent the ends of the brace. An inverted U-shaped hoisting frame has the ends of its arms 44 pivotally connected to the bearings 38, as indicated at 45.

Mounted upon the light supports 18 and bearings carried thereby is a shaft 46, the ends of which are provided with reels 47 and to which are secured flexible elements 48, the lower ends of which are secured to the bight 49 of the hoisting frame at adjacent ends thereof. This shaft has secured thereto a gear 50 with which meshes a pinion 51 carried by a shaft 52. This shaft 52 has a large sprocket wheel 53 secured thereto over which passes a chain 54 operated through a small sprocket 55 and a hand-wheel con trolled shaft 56. It will be noted that the shaft 46 is located nearly immediately vertically above the lower end of the boom, so that a direct pull adjusting the boom is assured and strain on the boom, as the result of uneven loading of the side cutting structure, avoided.

Pivoted at their forward ends to the bearing 38 are arms 57 having their rear ends provided with downwardly angling portions 58. To these downwardly angling portions are bolted planks 59 forming a drag, the uppermost plank having secured thereto angle-irons 60, the upper ends 61 of which incline upwardly and forwardly and terminate in hooks 62 connected with the bight portion 49 of the U-shaped frame by flexible elements 63. To these upwardly and forwardly angling portions is secured a further plank 64, the lower edge of which abuts the edge of the uppermost plank and which serves to form at the upper end of the drag formed by the planks 59 an overhanging flange. This drag is located with its front face immedately rearwardly of the path of movement of the blades carried by the transverse bars 34. Arranged beneath the lower flight of bucket conveyor chains is a trough into which the buckets travel during their upward movement. The upper end of this trough terminates above the transversely disposed conveyor 29.

In the operation of the device the teeth of the buckets and of the transverse bars 34 engage the ground, breaking the same for removal. That ground disturbed by the teeth of the buckets is, of course, removed by the buckets and carried upwardly to be finally deposited upon the transverse conveyor 29. That ground disturbed by the teeth 35 of the bars 34 is wormed into the path of the buckets by the spiral conveyors 37 and is finally engaged by the buckets to be carried away. The drag arranged rearwardly of these conveyors and of the buckets prevents the earth thus engaged from" passing beyond the rearmost point of travel of the conveyors 37 and buckets and insures a clean bottom in the form of a trench. Then in use the conveyor chains have become loosened due to wear, this looseness may be taken up by adjusting the bearing 30 and adjusting the arms or supports 39 to control the position of the bearings 38 with respect to the boom.

It will, of course, be obvious that the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In a trenching machine, a boom, a shaft upon which one end of the boom is pivoted, sprockets carried by said shaft, bucket conveyor chains passed about said sprockets, a shaft rotatably mounted in the opposite end of the boom, sprockets carried by the last named shaft and secured thereto and over which said sprocket conveyor chains likewise pass, buckets carried by the conveyor chains, a pair of spiders secured to the shaft at each side of said sprockets and having radiating arms, transversely disposed bars carried by said arms, teeth on said bars, a worm supported by said shaft between said spiders and upon operation of the shaft by the conveyor chains delivering engaged material into the path of said buckets, bearings for the ends of the second shaft and means connecting said boom and bearings rigidifying the boom to the bearings.

2. In a trenching machine, a boom, a shaft upon which one end of the boom is pivoted, sprockets carried by said shaft, bucket conveyor chains passed about said sprockets, a shaft rotatably mounted in the opposite end of the boom, sprockets carried by the last named shaft and secured thereto and over which said sprocket conveyor chains likewise pass, buckets carried by the conveyor chains, a pair of spiders secured to the shaft at each side of said sprockets and having radiating arms, transversely disposed bars carried by said arms, teeth on said bars, a

worm supported by said shaft between said spiders and upon operation of the shaft by the conveyor chains delivering engaged material into the path of said buckets, bearings for the ends of the last named shaft and means connecting said boom and bearings rigidifying the boom to the bearings including a beam extending transversely of the boom adjacent the lower end thereof and secured to the boom at its middle, braces connecting the boom and beam, and channel irons adjustably secured to the ends of said beam and upon which said bearings are mounted.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

PETER ASPLUND. 

